Marauders Forever
by Sordidas
Summary: Ok, the title's not very original. Forgive me. Its just a short moment between sirius and lupin after Prisoner of Azkaban, with flashbacks to marauder days.


Title:- Marauders Forever  
  
Characters:- Mainly Remus and Sirius, some James.  
  
Setting:- After 'Prisoner of Azkaban', though it flashes back to Past times with the marauders.  
  
A/N:- Whenever ~*~*~*~*~* is shown, it means the story has either moved backward through time to the past, or forward in time to the present day. Please R&R!  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't worry about it..."  
  
"No, I should have-"  
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
He found himself silenced. The other man's will for everything to be as it was in the past choked him.  
  
"You always did worry too much... moony."   
  
His ears pricked slightly at the old name. It had been so long since he had heard it.   
  
"I never told you..."  
  
"Shh."  
  
"No, it's important! I never told you that I believed you. Deep down, when you said you didn't do it. Deep down, when the witnesses said you did. Deep down, when I could see Peter's finger, and James's headstone, and Hagrid sobbing...  
  
I knew you were innocent."  
  
"I know that."  
  
"I wouldn't let myself admit it. And then, when you escaped!! Oh Merlin, I was so happy!  
  
But you never came to me. Not once. Not all year. So I began to doubt my secret belief..."  
  
"Just..."  
  
"I could have killed you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"You're such a prat!!!"  
  
Black's eyebrows raised as if to say, "What? Me? I'm innocent!".  
  
Lupin growled as he tried to clean away the ink that drenched his red dress robe.  
  
Stretching arrogantly in his chair, the darker haired boy smiled. "All the scourgify's in the world won't rid you of that, mate."  
  
"Oh? Then what in the blue hell will? The Yule Ball is tonight!"  
  
"Patience, patience, my dear Moony!"  
  
Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow. "Aerate"  
  
He smiled slightly as Sirius's hair gel evaporated. God, one trip into muggle London was all it took -Padfoot was hooked on the stuff!  
  
"You were s..." he stopped as he noticed the ink begin to disappear, and the tears of laughter begin to roll down Sirius's cheeks.  
  
Laughing also, he cried aloud, "You bastard!! I could have killed you!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You wouldn't have, though."  
  
"How can you know that?"  
  
"I know you."  
  
There was a silence that seemed to indicate agreement between the two.  
  
"The ministry will still look for you..."  
  
"More than ever, I assume."  
  
"You Worried?"  
  
"Nah."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Remus gulped as he looked at the great hall. It was filled with many rows of desks. The time had come to commence their N.E.W.T exams.  
  
Glancing around his fellow marauders, the sick feeling in his stomach lurched again. James had begun to mutter various incantations under his breath, Peter was massaging his temples as though he had forgotten something he ought to know, and Sirius... well, he was grinning.  
  
"Time to go see if we're gonna make it in life, Moony!" the dark haired boy said, with the air of someone who was very excited.  
  
He didn't reply, not trusting himself not to vomit.  
  
Sirius casually swung an arm round him, and hissed almost joyously in his ear, "NEWTs!"  
  
Wondering if his friend was deranged/intoxicated, he asked calmly, "You worried?"  
  
"Nah!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
He smiled to himself. It was almost like old times, for a second. So he said it. The thing they had both been trying not to say.   
  
"I've missed you, friend."  
  
It only reminded them both of where he had been... but Lupin had needed to say it.  
  
Despite the fact his insides deadened at the hinting reference to Azkaban, Sirius broke into a smile. Possibly his first real smile in fourteen years.  
  
"I've missed you too."   
  
Swiftly, they embraced, arms of friendship encircling one another. Drawing back, Lupin knew time was running short.  
  
"I'll see you----"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Sooner than you think!" Sirius Black finished the other boy's sentence. He had known Lupin for a year now, and he was beyond glad to have met the charming werewolf.  
  
Bouncing slightly, he leapt off the train, enjoying the confusion on Remus's face. James was next off the train, and he too wore an identical, mischevious grin.  
  
Worried beyond all belief (as anyone should be, when a marauder smiles like that) "What?"  
  
The two said nothing, simply grinning still, like a couple of goblins.  
  
A red-haired girl walked by, waving to the three. "See you at your party, Remus!" she called happily as she disappeared through the wall onto the muggle side.  
  
"My p- What?"  
  
With a sigh of annoyance, James muttered sarcastically, "Why, thank you bunches, Evans!"  
  
With a growl now, he repeated his earlier statement to completion, "My PARTY?"  
  
Seeing the werewolf's eyes flash dangerously, Sirius cut in. "Remus- its your birthday in a week... you didn't think we'd forget, did you?"   
  
Making an attempt at charm, he casually held his hand out. "Fancy a Sweet?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"-Sooner than you think."  
  
Remus's eyes widened. Did he mean...  
  
"It's your birthday in a week... you didn't think I'd forget, did you?"  
  
"You're on the run from the ministry of magic, Voldemort's... around- trying to gather power, Dementors are trying to kill you... and you want to what, celebrate my birthday?"  
  
"And with a little cake, too."  
  
Realizing he had been here too long, he stood up straighter. Turning to the softly spoken man, he murmured "Beostag Road. Look around for the big black dog."  
  
Their eyes met as Sirius spoke the old farewell.   
  
"Perpetuo Vexo."  
  
There was a shake and his old friend disappeared. Lupin smiled as he thought of Sirius apparating back to Buckbeak, and the two of them reclining on a beach somewhere, as the ministry turned most of London upside down. Marauders Forever... he thought in reply. 


End file.
